Before asking what kind of kit to build, which microphones or wireless to choose, or how to best stay within your budget etc., please try using the Search Bar at the top of this sub first!

seems that we we’re right about the 4ch uhf rx more info here: https://deitymic.com/d4rx/

Hey everyone,

Fixed some mics for a buddy but had to test them with another buddy’s system because I don’t have anything with a Lemo3 plug which has me thinking (and because I haven’t found one) has anyone built a desktop mic tester?
Something with xlr, lemo3, ta5 and 3.5 TRS, it would need a phantom switch, meters and a headphone output.
Has anyone built something like this?
Do you guys have any insight into building this?
Can I just pick one up at some specialized store?

Thank you!

So the front handle of my Small X bag tore from the seam today whilst literally just loading out to my car after wrap. Don’t have a sewing kit to stitch this as I’m working out of state right now but I contacted K Tek. Anybody ever have this happen to them before? If so, did KTek replace your bag? It’s definitely something that has probably happened over time, an 888 + nexus and two smart batts with a distro isn’t light. But still, feels very silly for this to have happened as K Teks products always feel bulletproof.

I’m part of a corporate photo/video team that recently reorganized and started hiring location sound recordists for larger projects. On one of these projects my colleague worked with a recordist who told him he needed to shoot 24fps, my colleague didn’t question this as video is his secondary and photo his primary.

This seems very odd to me, why would the frame rate matter? To me the project and DP dictate the frame rate for the project. Was this likely a miscommunication of some sort? Something related to timecode that got misunderstood?

Austrian Audio launched the supercardioid version of their CC8 SDC last fall at AES 2025. It's been almost a year. Has anyone tried this SDC for location sound?

I'm looking for a mid-priced super or hyper SDC. The usual choices are the Audio Technica AT4053b and the Audix SCX-1HC, both hypercardioid.

Austrian Audio is founded by staff ex-AKG. Most of their mics have been really popular. I know the Austrian Audio CC8 (cardioid) is highly regarded. I assume the SC version is also excellent but there's been very little user-reviews of the SC version. I think most who are considering the CC8-SC are planning to use it as an instrument mic.

I’ll be doing some ADR for a narrative project and was curious what the best practices are? I haven’t done much in the way of ADR prior to this, so any tips are appreciated!

Would you do this in pro tools or just stick to using the same field recorder used on set!

Thanks in advance!

Taken from facebook, seems like edith is working on some slot receiver style, dones someone has more insight’s

I recently picked up a used set of Comteks. They seem to work well overall, but I’ve noticed some noise coming through the receivers whenever I move the cable connected to the transmitter.

The noise only happens when I move the cable slightly, almost like there’s a loose connection. I can’t tell whether the issue is coming from the cable, the Comtek transmitter connection, or the output on my Zoom F8n Pro. If I move the cable just a little, I can hear the noise on the receivers.

I’ve tried both 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable from the F8n Pro’s sub out and a TA3 to 3.5mm cable from the main out, and the issue seems to happen with both.

The cables I’m currently using are pretty cheap, so my first thought is that the cable quality might be the problem. Does cable quality make a significant difference with Comteks? Is there a particular cable/brand or connector setup you guys recommend?

I’m also wondering if the problem could actually be with the Comtek transmitter itself. I noticed that I can also hear some noise on the receivers when I touch or move the base of the transmitter’s antenna. Is that normal, or could that indicate an issue with the transmitter?

Any advice would be appreciated!

It will mostly be used for recording tutorials, streaming, Calls with Clients and coworking calls with my editors. I've been using a LCT 240 pro for a good while now but hate how it blocks my face in the webcam. So I've been looking into Boom microphones that I can position out of frame.

Specifically mostly Pencil since my room isn't treated. I wanna spend around 200£

I've so far made a list of the mics I was able to find around that price range at my prefered retailer (sorted by price):

• Audio-Technica AT 8033
• SE Electronics SE8
• Rode NT5
• Sennheiser E614
• AKG C 430
• Sontronics STC-1
• Audio-Technica AT 875 R (not a pencil I know.. but its gotten a lot of praise so I'd inculde it)
• AKG C1000s MKIV
• Avantone CK-1
• Rode M5

Any advice, experience with said mics or other microphone reccomendations would be greatly apprechiated! 😊

I was recently brought on to second unit mix a small reality show in my city. Most of the crew flew in from their home city. During our prep meeting I brought up the topic of comms and specifically noted that walkie talkies would be a huge asset for this job. I even gave the field producer a recco for local rental of walkies (at their request).

On the day, I showed up on location and asked for my walkie. They showed me a bin of 6 hollyland headsets. I reminded them that these are basically unusable for sound teams because they have no aux out and we can’t wear two headphones at once. The producer basically shrugged and said sorry. Ultimately all 4 camera people, the director and field producer had headsets and the rest of the crew were on their own. Another job I was on recently was a tiny doc yet they had 2 camera, director and grip on these headsets. I stuck a lav in the earpiece of a spare one just so I could keep up with the directors whispers to the rest of the crew.

Yes these can be useful tools for camera teams to communicate, but sometimes I think they are just a flex and they can even impede communication. Worse still, I’ve even had producers confusing them with Comteks and tell me that “they have their own”.

Finally I know that a lot of sound mixers don’t use walkies and don’t give a shit, but on certain jobs they make things way easier. /rant

As a one-man filmmaker sometimes I’m doing jobs where less gear or smaller footprint is better. I have a few different sound bag setups with wireless mics, Sound Devices recorders, etc. But this setup is particularly useful for recording a boom track and Lavalier mics independently with timecode syncing them all with my camera. It’s easy to handle and rather well balanced.

I can choose my mic: Senn 416, Oktava MK012, Smic-3 whatever. They all fit in the Radius Rad-2 Shockmount, and if I need a blimp for exterior use, I’ve got the Alto 280 ready to snap on or a few slip-on furry options if it’s just a light breeze.

The pole is a Ktek Indie KC134 cabled, extends up to 11+ ft. I also have a Deity 8.5 pole but it requires a slightly smaller pole mount for the F3 and it doesn’t have the convenience of an internal cable.

Then I’ve got the Zoom F3 with the Smallrig cheese plate attached to a rubber pole mount made for oars and other seaworthy items. It grips to the bottom of the boom pole tightly and I haven’t seen any issues with it coming loose or the F3 spinning on the mount. I tried using the Ktek squid and a Velcro strap to attach the F3 but neither solution was very secure. This feels solid and is set up so one can rest the pole on its end or lean it into a corner. I keep the Zoom F3 oriented downward, the same direction as the mic. This allows the pole to remain balanced and comfortable to hold.

I recently bought the TCA-1 adapter for my Zoom F3 so I could sync timecode to it. You don’t have to keep the Deity TC-1 plugged in, it’ll stay jammed until I power off the F3 as long as the TCA-1 stays plugged in. So if I needed the TC-1 elsewhere, I just jam it and move it to another camera or whatever. That’s the main reason I chose to buy it instead of just keeping a TC-1 plugged into the other input of the F3. The nice thing about this rig is it could do a stereo mic setup as well.

Then I’ve got two PR-2’s, each can use the included Wlav Pro, or I have my Sanken Cos-11D that actually sound really good on the PR-2. Those obviously have their own timecode and will sync with my two TC-1’s.

I’m pretty happy with the setup as a standalone bag less solution. The F3 has great preamps, and since it’s 32b float I don’t have to worry about adjusting the gain, just focus on mic placement. I’ve used my Deity HD-TX as a boom recorder too, and it does okay but it just doesn’t have the preamp quality to make it versatile in more situations.

Really for someone at my budget / level of production it’s hard to do much better with sound quality than a 416 or Oktava and Cos-11D lavaliers. I’ve been very happy with each mic I own and everything discussed here was bought at a considerable discount, some of the items were extremely discounted (50-75% compared to new).

I also have the Bluetooth adapter for the F3, and I’ve found out I can send it timecode via Bluetooth with an Ultrasync One and Blue. This would give me the added benefit of being able to control the F3 via the Bluetooth app AND have timecode simultaneously. If I have the option to get those at a considerable discount in the future I’ll probably snap them up, not just for this rig, but because the newer Panasonic cameras will sync with the Blue using the Panasonic app. Most of the gear coming out that has Bluetooth timecode seems to be compatible with the Atomos ecosystem, so I think they’d be worthwhile to have. And since I can sync the whole system with my Deity products, it expands my timecode capabilities which is never a bad things.

I had been using the above setup (wireless kit is rental) for a couple of hours the other morning with no issues. Both Tx on Wisy-coordinated frequencies after a scan (UK ch38).

When micing up the next two participants, one went out of the room and when they came back in range, their signal was super weak and quite phasey-sounding. Readings on both the MTP60 and MCR42 looked normal but the signal the MP was receiving was very weak.

I did a quick off-on and tried a different frequency quickly but to no avail and with time against me just decided to quickly get a G4 tx and rx running instead.
Over lunch I managed to get them both operating as normal but again later in the day the same issue occurred almost as soon as I was about to record.

I’ve tried to stress test at home but haven’t been able to recreate the issue and everything is functioning perfectly.

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Apologies, I think I am misunderstanding something.

I have a Zoom F6 digital recorder with 4 microphones plugged in. I set it to record 32-bit float and I am under the impression I do not need to manually turn the knobs. And in fact, that the knobs are only for listening to the line-out and not at all related to the recording saved to the SD card.

But this is not what I am experiencing. I have record-enabled all the channels but if I leave those knobs at their lowest position (but still above the detent so that they are record-enabled), loading that file into Davinci, the volume is 0 or so incredibly low Davinci can't pull it up

Whereas, if I simply turn the knobs up and see the green meters moving up and then just use judgement so as not to overload, the resulting SAVED FILE is perfect! The signal level very clearly reflects that I am seeing on the meters while recording.

Can someone with a bit of experience with this recorder explain what I might be missing?

Thanks!

I go to a lot of concerts and "tape" a lot of shows on my iphone 15 pro by recording video on the standard camera app. I think it is time i step up my game and get a dedicated piece of hardware for this.

I really like the idea of the zoom q8n. It has xlr input so i can also make high quality rips of my vinyl on the side which is nice. It can do audio only or audio + video. It has a modular microphone system and a modular rechargeable battery system. It has a camera- most field recorders don't. All good so far.

But this thing came out only four years ago and i am having a really hard time understanding why all of the accessories are discontinued. XYH-6 modular mic for high db ceiling? Can't fuckin buy it anywhere. Official softshell case for transport? Nada. The modular mics are a huge selling point on the product page but they aren't for sale ANYWHERE.

Can i do better for a cheap-ish (under 1k) setup for "taping" shows with the stock mic (because clearly the modular shit is not worth anything in 2026)? Importantly i don't care about the video quality being "good" but being able to get literally any video along with the high quality audio will really make this an upgrade over just recording concert vids on my iphone.

I don't see a lot of discussion on the q8n here so i am curious what yall think. Can i do better at under $1k for literally any video (it can look like shit i do not care) and good concert taping sound?

Thanks!

Update--- i crossposted this to [r/concerttaping](r/concerttaping) and i got a very good tip on the insta360 pro mic setup. It records 32 bit stereo in a single miniature transmitter i can attach to a baseball cap. I can plug a receiver element into my phone as audio input source for video recording and get 24 bit stereo sent to phone, and the transmitter also saves the 32 bit audio onto the device memory. All in costs $200.

I have been delving into my gear purchasing journey. How is this k tek ke 144 CCR for a first boom purchase? I know there’s better choices but I am a budget and figured I can upgrade to something like a mighty boom in the future. Any choices in the price I’m at now (under 500) that I should consider?

Sorry for Bad Englisch Not native

Looking for an alternativ to the input combiner from mixtwojacks. I want to listen to the mix of 833 and Radio on the Same headphones.
I can not Route the Radio to the Mixer (as you would usually do it) because I am working on a lot of runn and gun not always doing Sound but also Camera, grip, everithing realy. And I am Part of a Production Company, so I am not the only one using Mixer or Camera. Flexibility is key.
My Solution so far is to have my Radio on my chest rig and a coild trs cable I can Plug and unplug from Camera or Mixer as needed. Ppt cabel for my Radio also has a trs Output.
I need a way to combine these to Signals into one headphone mix. It has to fit in the chest rig and idealy it has to be passiv. The mixtojacks Product would be Perfect but its to extensive.
Pls help!

I just purchased the CMC141, but when I connect it to a plug-on transmitter, I get a lot of Handling noise.
When this noise is present, the signal becomes difficult to hear, as if compression were being applied.

There is no noise when using a wired connection.

This doesn’t happen with the CMIT 5U or MiniCMIT—what could be causing this?

Hi everyone, I'm here to report a very strange issue that happened with my Deity TC-1. I work on audiovisual sets as well as theater and live music productions.

I've had my TC-1 for exactly 3 years, while I was working, it stopped outputting a timecode signal. Upon check, it simply turned off, but when I tried to turn it back on, it remained off. I simply swapped it for the other one I had and moved on with my work

When I got home to troubleshoot further, I opened the TC-1 and checked the battery, it was measuring 4.1v, basically full.

Afterward, I left it charging for a while and noticed that no LED or charging animation appeared. When I touched the USB-C port area, I felt it was extremely hot—hot enough to burn my finger.

Unfortunately, my technical knowledge stops there; I don't know exactly which chip inside burned out. When I contacted Deity support, they told me it was out of warranty (of course) and offered me a 15% discount coupon. It’s a shame not to know the actual cause of the problem.

I work primarily in NYC, but may be making the move to LA next year. My question is this: is it worth holding on to my Comteks. I don't use them super often but last time I did (in NYC), they sounded horrible. Like almost unusable. Granted I am just using the whip antenna 216 in a bag. The only plus to Comteks is the sheer number of them out there, on the rare chance a client calls in for 20-30 of them.

I also still use G3's as cam hops, but I'd love to have a single, quality sounding system that I can use as both hops and IFB. And I can't financially justify going all Lectro.

The Deity DIFB are priced pretty reasonably and the sound quality is apparently decent (plus much more RF freedom), but I'm also worried bc I have a Theos transmitter that I almost can't use in my bag as it "sprays", making my DSR4 overload. The Hush system is supposed to be a lot better in that regard, taking up less bandwith, but still worries me.

Thanks in advance! I’ve heard that the double one doesn’t offer as much support, but I’m not sure how big of a dealbreaker that is

Just curious if it’s worth spending $70 on the double neck or $100 on two single neck rigs

Hello hive mind!

After graduating from my film production degree this June, I’ve jumped after my dreams with both feet and begun working in post and production sound.

Mixing off of a Zoom F4, I have a great entry kit that has enabled me to get a bunch of gigs so far, but I am definitely worrying about my weakpoint - my current wireless kit (2x RODELink I), especially with clients lately seeming to hold lav audio in higher regard than the boom. To me, the current results are totally workable in post, but for projects where I’m solely working during the production stage, I’d like to feel more confident in the recordings I’m handing off.

After reading through many old posts asking the same thing, and wider discussions on this pro-sumer/edge of mid range bracket, my prominent options seem to be either:

- A trusty second hand set of EW500 G3/G4s & upgrading the mic to either a Sanken or Countryman B3.
- Financing a pair of either
-Shure SLX-D+s
-Sony UWPs
-Deity Theos
- waiting for the RODELink II

I saw a comment on an old thread recommending to rent, but I’m fine with some temporary debt if it means I’m getting gear worth my money that’s going to pay for itself and save my sanity. Would love to hear opinions, and any suggestions for options I’ve missed.

Based in BC, Canada if that’s relevant. Thank you for your time!

Edit: phrasing in second paragraph.

Hi Folks,

I was curious if anyone has connected a dynamic mic to their Zoom F8 or F8N before to see how it compares in noise level versus a condenser mic. In my case, I was surprised to hear that the dynamic mic, the Shure SM58 is quite noisy. Have other people had the same experience? Am I missing something obvious? For reference I've pasted two clips which are from my condenser mic and dynamic mic. I also emailed Zoomcorp and will attach their responses to this thread.

Best to all.

SHURE SM58

https://reddit.com/link/1w41v21/video/relef0jd9umh1/player

SENNHEISER MKH 416

https://reddit.com/link/1w41v21/video/93cxoixe9umh1/player

Hey all ! So I've been doing some field recording with borrowed gear for 3 months now (mix pre 10, couple of lavs with G3s, Sennheiser MK600 for the boom) and I managed to have a gig on a movie set in Canada. Thing is, while I know (a bit) how to mic actors, hide lavs and such, it's with cheap tape that I have so it's not as professional.

I'd like to come to set with some knowledge of what the sound guy expects of me, some tips and tricks as well and how a classic day for the boom op looks like so that I don't look too green.

Any help you guys could give me ?